Perceiving the role of the hospital chaplain in the therapeutic team

Introduction: The quality of a patient’s stay in hospital and patient satisfaction are affected by the possibility of contact with a chaplain and participation in religious practices.

The aim of the study: To assess the perception of the role of hospital chaplains in health supporting behaviours.

Materials and methods: The study included 790 subjects, and we used an original questionnaire.

Results: A lot of the respondents (81.5%) reported that the patients should have access to pastoral care without restriction, 82.5% stated that chaplains should be present in hospitals, and 87.3% in hospices. According to 44.3% of the respondents, the hospital chaplains should be training in the medical field. Some respondents 39,4% of the surveyed had no opinion on the full-time employment of the chaplain. More than half (52%) of respondents did not see obstacles to the hiring of chaplains of different denominations, 53.5% reported that the chaplain should be a member of the therapeutic team, and 46.5% did not know whether the chaplain had a positive influence on patient health. The primary task of the chaplain is, in the opinion of the respondents, to provide patients with access to religious practices.

Conclusions: Most respondents accepted the presence chaplains in hospitals and hospices. They believed that the hospital chaplains had a positive impact on the patient’s health. Chaplains should be trained in the medical field, and they should be a member of the therapeutic team.